Empty Bowls - Feeding the Hungry

Do not miss out on Wesley House's event this Friday, October 19, 2018,  from 11 am - 2pm. Bowls will be $20, there will be soup, tours and a silent auction. All proceeds go to our emergency food pantry.

This is the third time I have purchased an "empty" bowl that was created by a local artist. Each piece is unique and beautiful. My purchase of a $25 bowl (pre-sale)  allows Wesley House to purchase 6 1/2 meals from Kansas Food Bank. 

Wesley House is an outreach mission of First United Methodist Church in Pittsburg, Kansas.  It was established in 1982 to address the needs of low-income families in the area.  The mission of Wesley House is to provide a safe, welcoming place for individuals and families of Crawford County to seek assistance, advocacy, education and hope for a brighter tomorrow.  The ministry has grown and evolved through the years, but the primary purpose remains the same- to reach out with God's love to those who are in need in Crawford County.

Like Wesley House on Facebook here to learn more about them and the Empty Bowls event.

A Safe Place

Safehouse Crisis Center in Pittsburg provides a place that is safe and free of violence. Where children can build and maintain positive relationships with their parents.

Safehouse aids in the reduction of the incidence of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking.

Safehouse has been in operation for 34 years and continues to provide advocacy and shelter services to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking in Southeast Kansas. Click here to learn more.

24-Hour Crisis Hotline

Pittsburg Area - 800-794-9148

It's in our own backyard...Human Trafficking

Via Christi Hospital, in conjunction with Pittsburg State University, Irene Ransom Bradley School of Nursing, The University of Kansas Medical Center Office of Continuing Medical Education and The University of Kansas Medical Center Area Health Education Center East, will present “Human Trafficking and its intersections with Pornography and the Internet” from 8:15 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sept. 8 at Pittsburg State University’s McPherson Hall.

Sex trafficking is one of the world's most horrific and lucrative crimes, robbing millions of people of their dignity in order to make a profit. Prevalent worldwide, sex trafficking exists even in our own community. But you can make a difference. In order to effectively respond we must have a good understanding of human trafficking and what feeds this multi-billion dollar industry. 

Pornography and the internet have strong connections to human trafficking. Advertising and recruitment are easily promoted through the worldwide web. Meanwhile, pornographic images and videos are often produced at the cost of individuals who are being threatened or coerced. Globally, the largest pornography provider received 64 million visits per day (2016). Please join us to learn about what you can do to identify and help those who are being trafficked in our community.

This course is designed for healthcare providers and professionals, behavioral health professionals, pastors and youth leaders, law enforcement, staff of social service agencies, educators and concerned community members.

Cost to attend is $15.00 for general audience and $20.00 for healthcare professionals (includes continuing education credit or certificate of attendance). Conference fee includes lunch. Preregistration is required due to limited seating and is due by 5 p.m., Sept. 3. Registration at the door will be available only if space permits. Click here to register.

Parents as Teachers

Parents as Teachers (PAT) is an early learning program designed to provide practical and timely information to all families including single parents, first-time parents, and expectant parents.

Parent Educators share age-appropriate child development information, addressing parenting concerns, and engage the family in activities. In addition, they coordinate group connections, screening, playgroups, and provide resources.

I  utilized this program with my son to determine developmental milestones and learning opportunities. To learn more about what the program offers, click here.

Children's Advocacy Center - Giving a Voice

Children's Advocacy Centers share in a common belief that coordinated, multidisciplinary response to child abuse is the most effective and most compassionate response to abused children.

Their mission is to provide excellence in child abuse response and prevention through training, program development, advocacy, and leadership.

Services include training and technical assistance, multidisciplinary team training, case review protocol and procedure development, and legislative representation.

Their goal is a common, reliable, valid evaluation system to measure and report client outcomes. Click here to learn more.

Wesley House - Serving Southeast Kansas

Wesley House is an outreach mission of First United Methodist Church in Pittsburg, Kansas.  It was established in 1982 to address the needs of low-income families in the area.  The mission of Wesley House is to provide a safe, welcoming place for individuals and families of Crawford County to seek assistance, advocacy, education and hope for a brighter tomorrow.  The ministry has grown and evolved through the years, but the primary purpose remains the same- to reach out with God's love to those who are in need in Crawford County. To learn more about their services click here.

Civic Health Hero - What an Honor

When my sister asked me to share the community service I perform with her, I had no clue that a few months later I would be honored with the recognition of a Civic Health Hero by the Kansas Health Foundation.

The Kansas Health Foundation focuses on the four impact areas of access to affordable health care, healthy behaviors, civic and community engagement and educational attainment. Click here to read the wonderful article that was published in the Joplin Globe newspaper.

Frontenac Homecoming

In the southeast corner of Kansas, with a population of just over 3,400, Frontenac has a rich history. Frontenac was established as a coal mining town in 1886 in the Cherokee-Crawford Coal Fields. The town was populated primarily by immigrant families from eastern and southeastern Europe, predominantly Sicilian, Italian, and Slavic people from the Austro-Hungarian Empire. On the night of November 9, 1888, Frontenac had the worst mining disaster in Kansas history, when a coal dust explosion killed 44 miners. 

In 1986, a group of community members held the first Frontenac Homecoming to celebrate Frontenac's 100th anniversary. As the community changed, the committee dissolved but has returned with a new generation in 2016. To learn about the activities of Frontenac Homecoming 2018, please find Frontenac Homecoming on Facebook here.

Family Growth through Friendship

Pittburg Mother to Mother Ministry provides opportunities for individuals of different racial/ethnic, religious and economic backgrounds to gather in friendship.

By offering support and mentoring with family struggles or simply sharing life experiences, people learn from each other. These new friendships empower participants to nurture healthy families and to grow as both individuals and members of society.

To learn more about this wonderful organization click here.

SEK History

As a child growing up and attending school in Southeast Kansas, every school year, my class would visit the Crawford County Historical Museum. The Crawford County Historical Museum is a non-profit organization and has one of the largest collection of artifacts and historical displays in the area. Located just off of the Hwy 69 Bypass, the museum holds many memories for the community members of Southeast Kansas. 

To read more about the museum, click here for an article written by PSU student and Collegio Copy Editor Brianna Price.

The museum has opened its doors to the community by allowing meetings to be held in their Education Room. To reach a broader audience, the museum has begun hosting Sip & Paint Fundraisers as well. I have attended four (4) of the painting events and two I have taught. 

On May 6, 2018, the Crawford County Historical Museum is hosting a Sip, Paint & Laugh event. I will be guiding the attendees through a painting of Dandelions at Dawn. A fun spring themed picture.

Paint It All Pink

The Mount Carmel Foundation presents...Paint It All Pink on May 11, 2018. The fight against breast cancer is not just in October. Remember the women in your life during May and as we approach Mother's Day, support cancer awareness.

Together we can:

• Celebrate breast cancer survivors

• Support breast cancer awareness

• Spread the word about the importance of mammograms and early detection.

The Foundation hosts shirt and plant sales, giveaways and more. All proceeds go to the Mount Carmel Foundation benefitting the patients of the Via Christi Cancer Center.

The Mount Carmel Foundations secures and extends financial assistance to the operation, maintenance, facilities and services of Via Christi Hospital in Pittsburg, and contributes to healthcare and maintenance of the people of southeast Kansas and the surrounding region.

To learn more about what the foundation is, what it does, and where the funds raised go, like the foundation on Facebook, here.

Friends of the Library

The Friends of the Pittsburg Public Library hosted their Annual Meeting and Program on Monday, April 2, 2018. 

Dagmar Snodgrass presented: Dagie's Story: From War Torn Germany to Freedom in America.

The audience was silent as Dagie spun her childhood in Berlin and how a piece of chocolate from an American Candy Bomber gave her hope. She spoke of her family, how she met her husband, and how she and her children came to America. It was a different German perspective of WWII that history books don't always tell.


The Friends of the Pittsburg Public Library (FoPPL) ensures that the library is able to keep the many great, public programs as well as allowing special purchases of equipment and titles for the collection by raising funds during the semi-annual book sales and membership fees. FoPPL hope to facilitate lifelong learning opportunities for Pittsburg Public Library patrons.

Invisible Illnesses Become Visible

As National President of my philanthropic sorority, Phi Tau Omega, I have the honor of selecting a National Platform that all chapters recognize. As a Multiple Sclerosis Warrior for almost 18 years, I have selected Invisible Illnesses.

Invisible Illness or Disability is an umbrella term that captures a whole spectrum of hidden disabilities or challenges that are primarily neurological in nature.

Invisible Disabilities are certain kinds of disabilities that are not immediately apparent to others. It is estimated that 10% of people in the U.S. have a medical condition which could be considered a type of invisible disability. 96% of people with chronic medical conditions live with a condition that is invisible. These people do not use a cane or any assistive device and act as if they didn’t have a medical condition. About 25% of them have some type of activity limitation, ranging from mild to severe; the remaining 75% are not disabled by their chronic conditions. Although the disability creates a challenge for the person who has it, the reality of the disability can be difficult for others to recognize or acknowledge. Others may not understand the cause of the problem if they cannot see evidence of it in a visible way.

Invisible Illnesses include, but are not limited to: Multiple Sclerosis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Cancer, Fibromyalgia, Depression, Mental Illness, Diabetes, Digestive Disorders, Migraines, Heart Conditions, Infertility, Lupus and Lyme Disease.

2018 Move & Shake for MS Zumbathon

Move & Shake for MS Zumbathon is the annual fundraiser for the Hope for MS Foundation. The foundation uses the funds raised to provide grants to those in the four states area living with Multiple Sclerosis that will enhance their quality of life.

The main purpose of the Hope for MS Foundation is to END MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS. While we may not be able to accomplish this ultimate goal this year, we do have attainable goals that will be achieved. Hope for MS Foundation is a 100% volunteer group that strives to use every penny raised to make an impact on MS. We are funding research that will bring about a cure and better treatments in the interim. We are funding patient grants for items needed to live easier with MS such as scooters, wheelchairs, wheelchair ramps, walking aids and physical therapy equipment.

To learn more about both the Hope for MS Foundation and Move & Shake for MS, click here.

Like Hope for MS Foundation on Facebook.